I could do this for my family but my upper body strength is now so limited that I could probably only clean, monitor, etc but would have to have help whenever lifting was involved. I wouldn't want my husband to go in a nursing home. However, it is also important to figure out how to get help and not feel like you have to be there 24 hours a day. You have to know your limits but also be there for them. I am sure my husband would do this for me and he has done it for his family.

It is understandable that not everyone would be comfortable doing this for strangers. Washing a bed bound person is an intimate and loving act. I was in critical care then bed bound for a while and some of the nurses doing this were such loving people. There was a petite nurse who took care of me when I was in critical care who would get stressed out when I was in pain and she couldn't fix it but she was so attentive (she seemed like the type who didn't miss things) and did all she could. Some of my nurses were saints. Those young people are learning how to serve others and learning what is their cup of tea. Good topic.